Monday, November 18, 2013

Willeyville

Have you been down to the east bank of The Flats recently? The revitalization is beginning, and some great new restaurants popped up there. On Friday, we enjoyed another memorable meal at Lago with friends. We also stopped in the WXYZ bar in the Aloft Hotel for an after-dinner drink. I kind of felt like I was in a club with the DJ, lighting, and lounge seating. But, it has amazing views of the river and our city's bridges, and I did enjoy my cocktail.

Another addition to the area is Willeyville. The restaurant is led by Chef/Owner Chris Di Lisi, best known for his time spent at Baricelli Inn and Flour. He brought his talent, and vision of creating "handcrafted consumables" to The Flats.

I've now dined there twice---once for dinner, and a recent lunch outing with a friend. Our dinner left a good impression. I enjoyed the Beet Salad with fennel, apple, and whipped ricotta ($12.50), and the Pork Belly Ramen ($15). Why are udon noodles so hard for me to gracefully eat? Anyone else have this problem? The only dish that didn't stand out was the Calamari. Looking at their current menu online, the preparation has already changed. One of our dining mates ordered the pumpkin soup that was on the menu at the time, and it arrived inside of a small pumpkin. Talk about presentation!

For lunch, I went with a cup of soup (Special of the day? Can't remember, and it appears to not be on the current menu.)...

I do wish that the bacon had arrived crumbled, but overall I really loved this salad. The "ranch" dressing is like nothing that I've ever had. The addition of herbs to the dressing totally changes the flavor of traditional ranch, and I personally wanted a bottle of it.

While we had enjoyed our dinner experience, I think that I left lunch even more pleased.

With a changing and seasonal menu, hand-crafted cocktails, decent beer and wine list, and many house-made items, it's a nice addition to the Downtown Cleveland dining scene. I wish that the patio had a slightly better view, but a visionary can picture what The Flats will hopefully look like in the years to come. Lot or valet parking are available for a fee. They are also offering a "Browns Brunch" that looks appealing from 10AM - 2PM during home games. Happy Hour from 5 - 6:30PM Monday - Friday, and a Bar Menu is available between lunch and dinner service during the week.

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Meet Katrina

I can't cook. I am the girl that burns water out of a pot and ruins it, routinely sets the fire alarm off, and has to use a knife very slowly. Join me as I follow my heart from New York to Ohio, and explore the best (and maybe sometimes the worst) that Cleveland and its independent restaurants have to offer. Let's take a "bite" out of our city together.

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